PHILANTHROPY IS WAGE THEFT
Warren Buffett quits Gates Foundation board, gives $4.1B 

to 5 charities

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett (R) emphasized that his resignation from the board is not a signal of retirement or stepping back from investing. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo


June 23 (UPI) -- Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Wednesday that he's resigned from the board of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is giving away $4.1 billion to it and four other charities.

Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said the donations are part of a commitment he made 15 years ago to give away all of company shares through yearly donations.

THEFT OF OUR COMMONWEALTH
Buffett, one of the richest people in the world, said the new donations get him halfway to his goal.

"In June of 2006, I owned 474,998 'A' shares. Now, I own 238,624 shares, worth about $100 billion," Buffett said in a statement. "All remain destined for philanthropy."

The $4.1 billion will go to the Gates Foundation, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, Sherwood Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation and NoVo Foundation.

In announcing his resignation from the Gates board, Buffett said he leaves the hard work to those involved directly with all of the nonprofits and was pleased with their efforts across various causes.

"To them, I've delegated the hard work," he said. "After 16 years of pursuing my philanthropic plan, I'm delighted with its workings. Each of the five foundations set its own course and the leaders of all five work hard and effectively. My own involvement has essentially been nil, which leaves me to do what I love."

Buffett emphasized that his resignation from the board is not a signal of retirement or that he's stepping back from investing.

"Please understand that these remarks are no swansong," he said. 'I continue at my enjoyable job, doing what I like."

"I still relish being on the field and carrying the ball. But I'm clearly playing in a game that, for me, has moved past the fourth quarter into overtime."

ULTRA RICH LIVE OFF OUR COMMONWEALTH
RELATED Forbes adds 500 newcomers to billionaires list amid pandemic

Berkshire A shares have hit a record high this year, with many of the businesses under its umbrella bouncing back from hardships inflicted by COVID-19 in 2020.

Pentagon chief calls for removing prosecution of sexual assault from chain of command

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Tuesday he will recommend that President Joe Biden removes prosecutorial powers over sexual assault cases from the chain of command. Pool photo by Evelyn Hockstein/UPI | License Photo

June 22 (UPI) -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Tuesday that he will recommend to President Joe Biden to remove prosecutorial powers over sexual assaults and related crimes from the military chain of command.

Austin announced he had decided to make the recommendation in a statement a day after receiving a report from the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment that had made the suggestion.

In order to remove the prosecution of such cases from the chain of command, Austin said military leaders will work with Congress to amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

"The IRC recommended the inclusion of other special victims' crimes inside this independent prosecution system, to include domestic violence," he said. "I support this as well, given the strong correlation between these sorts of crimes and the prevalence of sexual assault."

The report, he said, was the product of not only the commission's experience but of members of the military, including sexual assault survivors.

Greater accountability is needed to address the problem of sexual assault and the military itself needs to change its approach to prevention and victim services, Austin said, adding that to implement the commission's recommendations, more resources and authorities from Congress will be needed.

"Those [recommendations] we believe we can implement under existing authorities will be given priority," he said, adding that additional personnel and funding will be required. "But it may take us some time to determine how much and where they are most wisely applied."

The report delivered to Austin on Monday was produced by the IRC, which was led by Lynn Rosenthal and created by the secretary with a Feb. 26 memorandum to conduct a 90-day investigation into sexual assault in the military.

"The work they produced was informed not only by their own significant experience, but by that of so many members of our military, including sexual assault survivors," he said. "It provides us real opportunities to finally end the scourge of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military."

The announcement was made amid a push by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to pass a sweeping military justice reform bill that would, among other changes, also remove prosecutorial powers over serious crimes, including sexual assault, from the chain of command to independent prosecutors.

The Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act, which Gillibrand first introduced in 2013, has yet to be placed to a vote. On Monday, she urged her colleagues in Congress for a vote, stating since May 23 when she first called for them to so some 1,624 service members would have been raped or sexually assaulted.

"Every minute we delay we are not standing by our service members," she said, adding that 66 senators support it. "It's time to do the reform that survivors have asked for and that veteran organizations support."

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who is a ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released letters on Tuesday sent to him from seven senior military officials raising concerns against the act, with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley among them.

"It is my professional opinion that removing commanders from prosecution decision process and accountability may have an adverse effect on readiness, mission accomplishment, good order and discipline, justice, unit cohesion, trust and loyalty between commanders and those they lead," he wrote in the May 19 letter.

However, he said he remains "open-minded" about doing so for the specific and limited circumstance of sexual assault.

"I urge caution to ensure any changes to commander authority to enforce discipline by rigorously analyzed, evidence-based and narrow in scope, limited only to sexual assault and related offenses," he said.

In response, Gillibrand said the content of the letters was disappointing but not surprising as the chain of command has fought against progress to maintain the status quo, calling their arguments "recycled talking points."


"It is time for Congress and the administration to exercise their constitutional oversight duties and professionalize and reform the military justice system to reduce bias, increase efficiency and restore the confidence of our service members," she said in a statement.

Connecticut legalizes recreational marijuana use


Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday signed a law legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults 21 and older and automatically erasing some marijuana-related convictions. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

June 22 (UPI) -- Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed a law Tuesday legalizing recreational marijuana use in the state.

The law legalizes recreational marijuana use for people 21 and older in the state beginning July 1, allows for recreational marijuana sales in May 2022 and includes provisions to erase prior marijuana convictions.

"For decades, the war on cannabis caused injustices and created disparities while doing little to protect public health and safety," Lamont said. "The law that I signed today begins to right some of those wrongs by creating a comprehensive framework for a regulated market that prioritizes public health, public safety, criminal justice and equity."

Under the law, people older than 21 will be able to possess up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana on their person and no more than 5 ounces in their homes or locked in their vehicle's glove box.

RELATED Virginia Gov. Northam signs law legalizing simple marijuana possession

Patients in the state's medical marijuana program will be able to grow three mature and three immature cannabis plants indoors at their home beginning Oct. 1 and all adults older than 21 will be allowed to grow "a similar number of plants" indoors beginning July 1, 2023.

The law also automatically erases "certain cannabis-related convictions" occurring between Jan. 1, 2000, and Oct. 1, 2015, and mandates that half of all initial recreational marijuana market licenses will be reserved for social equity applicants "targeting those communities that have been most negatively impacted by the so-called war on drugs."

Connecticut is the 18th state to legalize recreational marijuana use, along with Washington, D.C.

RELATED New York legalizes adult-use marijuana sales

On the unofficial marijuana holiday "4/20" in April, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for marijuana to be decriminalized at the federal level within the next year.

Wassily Kandinsky painting thought lost for 70 years sells for $1.4M


The 1927 Wassily Kandinsky painting, "Gebogene Spitzen (Curved Tips)," was believed to be lost, but turned up after 70 years in the estate of a German collector. File Image courtesy of Ketterer Kunst

June 22 (UPI) -- A watercolor painting by Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky believed to be lost for more than seven decades has sold at auction for $1.4 million.

The painting, Gebogene Spitzen (Curved Tips), was painted in 1927 when the expressionist taught at the Bauhaus German school of art.

After being recorded as sold in 1949, art historians became unsure of its location. The only proof of its existence was a small sketch of it in a list of his artworks by art historian Vivian Endicott Barnett.

Munich auction house Ketterer Kunst said the painting then surfaced in the estate of a private German collector in May.

"I am all the more delighted that we were able to identify such an outstanding work," auction house owner Robert Ketterer said of the work. "Many Kandinsky experts did research into the work, however, its exact appearance and whereabouts remained a mystery for decades."

A Berlin collector purchased the painting Saturday at auction.

Kandinsky was known as a pioneer of abstract painting, leaning heavily on bright color palettes and geometric figures.

Senate holds rare hearing on D.C. statehood

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and former Sen. Joe Lieberman chat before they testify at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

June 22 (UPI) -- The Senate on Tuesday held a rare hearing to evaluate statehood for Washington, D.C., with supporters pushing for voting rights and opponents questioning the legality of creating a new state without a constitutional amendment.

It was the first time a Senate panel has held a hearing on the issue since 2014.

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., sponsors the legislation to make the district a state. The House passed the bill in April and the Senate has yet to consider the issue.

Supporters of Washington, D.C., statehood gather at a "Statehood is Racial Justice" rally near the Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Phot\o by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Democrats, who generally support the measure, hold a majority in the Senate, but Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has said he won't vote in favor, all but ensuring its failure.

Norton -- who represents the District of Columbia's at-large congressional district in the House, but doesn't get a vote in the chamber -- said statehood is a matter of representation. The district has no representation in the Senate, but receives three electoral votes when electing president.

She said despite this, residents of the city pay more in federal income tax per capita than the other states.

"The country was founded on the principles of no taxation without representation and consent of the government," Norton said told the Senate's Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affair

"D.C. residents are taxed without representation and cannot consent to the laws under which they as American citizens must live."

Supporters of Washington, D.C., statehood gather at a "Statehood is Racial Justice" rally. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Republicans, though, had concerns about making the district a state with legislation -- saying that it can only be done with a constitutional amendment. Republicans also don't support the measure because the district leans blue and would likely vote two Democratic senators into the upper chamber.

"What Congress cannot do is override the Constitution anytime it becomes inconvenient for a majority in Congress," said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., a member of the committee. "The Constitution endures and that is the fundamental premise of our democratic republic, and I fear that premise is being threatened by this legislation."

EU investigators looking at whether Google abuses power in digital ad market


"We will continue to engage constructively with the [EU] to answer their questions and demonstrate the benefits of our products," Google said in response to the investigation. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo


June 22 (UPI) -- The European Union said Tuesday it's investigating Google over whether the U.S. tech giant is stifling competition in the bloc by favoring its own digital advertising platform.

The European Commission, the EU's top antitrust investigator, said it's concerned about Google possibly restricting access to valuable user data that's used to personalize display ads that are seen across the Internet on thousands of ad-supported sites and apps.

"Online advertising services are at the heart of how Google and publishers monetise their online services," EU Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

"Google collects data to be used for targeted advertising purposes, it sells advertising space and also acts as an online advertising intermediary. So Google is present at almost all levels of the supply chain for online display advertising."

RELATED Reports: Google uncovered Russian-bought ads tied to 2016 election

Vestager said the 27-member bloc will look at Google's user tracking process to see if it complies with EU regulations that are intended to ensure fair competition.

The EU has estimated that the display ad market is worth about $24 billion per year. Display ads, as opposed to search ads, typically appear on sites as banners or text layouts. They are often personalized based on a user's browsing history, which involves data that's at the heart of the EU inquiry.

Investigators are looking to find out if Google restricts competitors' access to user data.

RELATED Google in France agrees to ad rule changes

"Competition law and data protection laws must work hand in hand to ensure that display advertising markets operate on a level playing field in which all market participants protect user privacy in the same manner," the EU said in a statement.

Two years ago, the EU fined Google $1.7 billion for intentionally driving down competition in online advertising. Then, Vestager said Google had been performing the "misconduct" for at least a decade. Google responded by saying it made a host of changes to address the EU concerns.

Tuesday, the company again disputed the EU investigation and said it has long supported healthy competition in the ad marketplace.

RELATED Google to pay $267 million fine, change ad practices after French complaint

"Thousands of European businesses use our advertising products to reach new customers and fund their websites every single day," Google said in response to the investigation, according to The Washington Post. "They choose them because they're competitive and effective.

"We will continue to engage constructively with the European Commission to answer their questions and demonstrate the benefits of our products to European businesses and consumers."

Earlier this month, French regulators fined Google $262 million for abusing its market power online. In December 2019, they levied a $166 million fine for imposing "unfair" rules for its advertising platform.

RELATED France fines Google $166M over 'unfair' ad rules, orders changes


RELATED EU fines Google $1.7B for monopolizing online ads

THE WATCHDOG IS A GRIMM
Deaths at U.S. nursing homes surged by 170,000 in 2020, watchdog report says


A patient is moved out of a skilled nursing facility in Hayward, Calif., on April 9, 2020. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

June 22 (UPI) -- Deaths among Medicare patients in U.S. nursing homes last year surged by more than 30% -- with two pronounced spikes at different times of the year, according to a comprehensive report Tuesday by the inspector general of the Health and Human Services Department.

The analysis is one of the most thorough to date about the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. care facilities, which often saw peculiar increases in cases and deaths at various times in 2020.

Tuesday's report, issued by the office of Acting HHS Inspector General Christi Grimm, said nursing home deaths rose by 32% last year -- which amounted to 170,000 more deaths among such patients than in 2019.

Elderly patients, many of whom have underlying health conditions and live in close quarters at the facilities, have been heavily impacted by the coronavirus disease. The report said Medicare patients were particularly vulnerable, with two in five contracting or likely contracting COVID-19 in 2020.

The assessment also noted that the overall mortality rate in nursing homes rose to 22% last year, an increase of 5% from 2019.

There were two significant spikes in nursing home deaths eight months apart last year, in April and December, the report said. April was one of the most devastating months of the year and saw more than 80,000 deaths among Medicare patients in care facilities. In December, that figure was about 74,000.

"The pandemic had far-reaching implications for all nursing home beneficiaries, beyond those who had or likely had COVID-19," the 12-page report states.

RELATED Shared nursing home staffs account for COVID-19 spread, study shows

"Understanding how many beneficiaries in nursing homes were affected, who they were, and what characteristics may have put some at greater risk can help prevent future tragedies."

"The toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes demonstrates the need for increased action to mitigate the effects of the ongoing pandemic and to avert such tragedies from occurring in the future," the inspector general's office said in a statement.

The report went on to say that each month of 2020 saw a higher mortality rate than the year prior, and some states were hit harder than others. In some -- like Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana and New Jersey -- more than half of Medicare patients in nursing homes had COVID-19

The report also found that half of all Black, Hispanic and Asian Medicare patients in care facilities picked up the virus. Age and gender within the nursing homes didn't seem to be a varying factor, it said.

Grimm's office said Tuesday's assessment is the first in a three-part series that will examine the impact of the pandemic in nursing homes. The next two will address which facilities saw the greatest impact and what strategies were used to mitigate infections and deaths.

China denies forced labor allegations in Xinjiang solar material manufacturing

China said allegations regarding Xinjiang are false after U.S. politicians suggested solar panel materials were being produced in the region using forced labor.

 File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

June 22 (UPI) -- China dismissed allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang after a report suggested the United States was considering a ban on Chinese solar imports.

Beijing's foreign ministry said Tuesday at a regular press briefing that China is strongly opposed to a potential U.S. ban on solar panel materials manufactured in Xinjiang

"The so-called 'genocide' and 'forced labor' in Xinjiang are nothing but rumors with ulterior motives and downright lies," ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

"Its real purpose is to restrict and contain the development of relevant sectors and enterprises in China. It is imposing on China 'forced unemployment,' 'forced poverty' and unfair competition."

Zhao's statement comes after Politico reported the Biden administration is reviewing a ban on solar panel material from Xinjiang.

Polysilicon, the material critical to the proper functioning of most solar panels, is manufactured in Xinjiang. About half the world's supply of polysilicon comes from the region, the report said.

U.S. Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee have claimed there is "overwhelming evidence" of the use of forced labor in polysilicon production. The import of material produced through forced labor is banned under Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the report said

U.S. Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., told Politico that determining whether imports involved the use of forced labor is not always easy.

"Supply chain issues can be incredibly complicated, and in some instances it's hard to get reliable information, particularly if you're talking about Xinjiang, [where] their information is tightly controlled," Wyden said. "But aggressive, unrelenting enforcement is, to me, the prescription for this."

China on Tuesday accused the United States of spreading "false information."

Zhao also confirmed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet's upcoming visit to Xinjiang.

"We have repeatedly stated that the visit should be a friendly visit with the purpose of promoting exchanges and cooperation, rather than carrying out a so-called 'investigation'," Zhao said.

AMERIKA'S RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
Interior Department to investigate Indigenous boarding schools, burial grounds


Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Tuesday announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which aims to investigate federal boarding schools used to assimilate Indigenous children. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

June 22 (UPI) -- Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced Tuesday an initiative to review the history of federal boarding schools that forced cultural assimilation of Indigenous children.

Haaland announced the launch of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to investigate the schools along with a memo directing the department to place an emphasis on identifying cemeteries and burial sites related to the schools.

"The Interior Department will address the inter-generational impact of Indian boarding schools to shed light on the unspoken traumas of the past, no matter how hard it will be," said Haaland.

The schools were established under the 1819 Civilization Fund Act as part of a campaign by the federal government to assimilate Native American Children into White American society by separating them from their families.

The announcement comes after the remains of 215 children buried at a similar boarding school in Canada were uncovered last month.

The Interior Department said the goal of the Federal Boarding School Initiative will be to identify boarding school facilities and sites, the location of known and possible student burial sites and the identities and Tribal affiliations of students buried at those sites.

"I know that this process will be long and difficult. I know that this process will be painful. It won't undo the heartbreak and loss we feel," said Haaland. "But only by acknowledging the past can we work toward a future that we're all proud to embrace."

Bryan Newland, principal deputy assistant secretary for Indian affairs, said the initiative is expected to be a multi-year effort and that the Interior Department will consult with tribal leaders on how to best utilize the information gathered.

"We must shed light on what happened at federal Boarding Schools," Newland said.

Socialist India Walton upsets longtime Democratic incumbent in Buffalo mayor's race

Image of India Walton, who won the Democratic Party primary Tuesday for mayor of Buffalo as a socialist. Photo courtesy of India Walton campaign

June 23 (UPI) -- Buffalo, N.Y., socialist mayoral candidate India B. Walton beat four-term incumbent Byron Brown in a stunning upset in the Democratic Party primary there Tuesday, winning 52% of the vote.

Walton, 39, still has to win the general election in November, but Buffalo last elected a Republican mayor in 1965. She defeated one of the state's Democratic heavyweights in Brown, a former New York Democratic Party chairman and state legislator.

"This victory is ours," Brown told supporters, according to NBC News. "It is the first of many. If you are in an elected office right now, you are being put on notice. We are coming."

Walton said there is no need to fear her socialist title, saying she is part of a progressive movement that seeks to eradicate poverty and bring power and resources to the grassroots level.

"I'm just excited to be a part of this movement that is ushering progressive politics into Buffalo," Walton told the Buffalo News. "Being the third-poorest midsize city in this country, we should be considering how we begin to eradicate concentrated poverty and disadvantage, and democratic socialist leanings are a big step in getting us there."

Brown, who has close ties to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, refused to concede early Wednesday, saying the race was still too close.

"We're going to make sure every single vote is counted," Brown told The New York Times.

Brown refused to debate Walton during the campaign, appearing often with Cuomo during the governor's news conferences in Western New York to promote the elimination of coronavirus restrictions.

Walton, though, campaigned vigorously in neighborhoods and with grassroots organizations, lining herself up with Cuomo's most vocal critics in the Democratic Party, which gave her a political foundation.